Two Levelland Men Will Go To Prison For Murder

A murder case in Levelland is now closed after five days of testimony.

Friday afternoon, a Hockley County Jury found Paul Ochoa guilty of murder in the death of Martin Gonzales, Junior. The 27-year-old will spend 40 years in prison.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Christopher Viernes will spend 20 years in prison for the same murder. Thursday, Viernes pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for his testimony in Ochoa's trial. Viernes testified that Gonzales threatened to kill him, but slipped on the curb and his knife landed in the grass. The two struggled and Viernes ended up stabbing Gonzales twice before handing the knife to Ochoa. Gonzales was found dead in front of a Levelland home. Police say he had been stabbed 30 times.